Catalytic fuel generator



June 16, 1936. i-:.' L. RATHBYURN I 2,044,544

CATALYT I C FUEL GENERATOR Filed June 14, 1950 1 JFWM,

INVENTOR,

Patented June 16, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CATALYTIC FUEL GENERATOR tion of Illinois Application June 14, 1930, Serial No. 461,248

6 Claims.

The invention relates to catalytic generators for producing fixed gaseous fuels, and wherein the flow or fuel is induced by pneumatic means, and said invention consists in certain features of construction, hereinafter described in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 shows a vertical section of the generator, and Figure 2 shows a horizontal section of said generator, taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawing, I is a constant-level fuel reservoir from which a valve-regulated fuelsupply duct 2 leads to the throat of a Venturi tube 3 having fuel-admitting openings 4, and 5 is an air-receiving mixer into which said Venturi tube 3 discharges when pressure at the outlet 6 of the generator is less than that at the entrance of said Venturi tube, which tube 3 may be connected with an air-supply pipe 7 if suction at said outlet 6 is inadequate or unavailable. The air-receiving-mixer 5 preferably depends from a casing 8 resting on the diaphragm 9 of a chambered casting l9, Illa, and engaged at its upper end by a cylinder II constituting a continuation of and secured to said chambered casting l0.

Within the contracted part l2 of and sustained by lugs l3 resting on said casing 8, is the inner wall M of an annular nozzle l5 of which the contracted part i2 is the outer wall, said annular nozzle !5 being somewhat restricted and subject to the inductive influence of the current which flows upward through said air-receiving mixer 5, whereby a downwardly-flowing current will be developed through said annular nozzle I5.

Mounted on said inner wall I4, is a tubular catalytic agent IE of any known character such as platinum black having vertical external ribs l? for spacing it from the surrounding casing 8, so that small portions of the mixture may flow downward, and in contact with the outer surface of said tubular catalyst 16 to said annular nozzle I5, to thereby enable the catalytic material to intensely heat those small portions before they commingle with the mixture rising through said catalytic agent. Thus, the mixture flowing within the catalyst will become more highly heated than it would be if its only source of heat were the inside surface of the catalyst on which flameless combustion spontaneously takes place.

Extending through the wall of the casting in, is a spark plug l8 which is used to ignite an initial mixture in the space around the casing 8 combustion being supported by air admitted through controlled openings l9 arranged adjacent said spark plug l8, and escaping through openings 29 at preferably the top of the casing 8.

The casting It is provided with a hollow extension 2! communicating with a passage 2Ia. leading to the space 2| 1) surrounding the air mixer 5, and in which is mounted a verticallymovable nozzle 22 guided by an internal flange 23 of said extension 2! and slightly spaced at its upper end 22a from the seat 24 of a Venturi tube 25, and, at its lower flared end 26 engaging a vertically-adjustable seat 21, carried by said extension 2 l.

Attached to the flared end 26 of the vertically-movable nozzle 22, is a rotary air valve 28 fixed to a revoluble actuating stem 29 extending through and sustained by a stationary ported plate 35 with which said air valve 28 cooperates, the upper end of said stem 29 being shaped, at 3! to conform to the stream lines of the inflowing air.

In order to impart to said nozzle 22 and. the attached parts, the required vertical movements, there is employed a hand actuated cam 32 carried by said stem 29 and engaging a lug 33 on the under side of a plate 34 mounted on a fixed arm 35. The thrust of the cam 32 is opposed by a spring 36 disposed between said plate 34 and said air valve 28, and the contour of the cam is such as to admit of the lowering of the nozzle 22 before the rotary air valve 28 has uncovered the ports of the plate 30. The nozzle 22, as it moves downward, will first amplify the space 3.1 between its upper end 220. and the seat 24, and, at the same time, establish a passage for the admission of air between its flared end 26 and the adjustable seat 21, and adjustments of said seat Zl will determine the initial size of said space 3].

Assuming that the pressure at the entrance to the Venturi tube 3 is considerably more than the pressure at the outlet $5 of the generator, air will flow upward past the openings 4 in the Venturi tube 3 and act as a vehicle to carry fuel entering through the openings 4 into the mixer 5, air from outside the generator simultaneously being drawn into said mixer 5 through the space. around said Venturi tube 3, provided the flared end 26 of the nozzle 22 is at that time spaced from the adjustable seat 21.

The mixture, thus produced, flows upward through the tubular catalyst IS in which flameless combustion occurs, and thence outward through the constantly-open space 31, a small portion thereof being drawn downward outside of said tubular catalyst I6 and through the annular nozzle l5, after which it is difiused into the passing downward, the diverted portion of the initial mixture is subjected to catalytic action and so characteristically altered and heated that it imparts to the initial mixture qualities which greatly improved its value as a fuel, thus supplementing the favorable interior action of the catalyst l6 which mainly affects only the initial mixture.

The catalyst i6 is heated and made active by the burning of a portion of the initial rich mixture in the space within the casing 8, air being permitted to enter the openings ill in the wall of the casting IE3 and to pass through the openings 26) in casing 8, to thereby enable that portion to be ignited by the spark plug [8. Af- {ter the catalyst l6 has been preheated to an operative temperature and thus rendered active by the inflamed mixture, the openings [9 will be closed and the current through the spark plug discontinued.

Inasmuch as the area of the passage 3! and that of the space between the flared end 26 of the nozzle 22 and the adjustable seat 21, are both controlled by movements of the cam-actuated nozzle 22, and the rotary movements of the valve 28 are produced by the cam 32, adjustments of these several elements are automatically and simultaneously produced. However, adjustment of the seat 21 will alter the relative capacities of the space thereat and the space 3! at the top of said nozzle, as may be required, and thus proportionately meter the constituents of the mixture.

When the valve 28 has been opened, cold air will flow upward through the nozzle 22 and into the Venturi tube 25 wherein it contracts the mixture, thereby creating a zone of low pressure into which the heated mixture flowing from the tubular catalyst l6 will be drawn through the thus widened space 31.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A catalytic fuel generator including a tubular catalyst, an outlet passage for the combustible gases developed by said catalyst, an adjustable nozzle for controlling said outlet passage, a supplemental passage for supplying air to said tubular catalyst controlled by said annular nozzle, means for actuating said adjustable nozzle, and a valve at the lower end of said adjustable nozzle for varying the volume of air flowing thereinto.

2. A catalyst fuel generator including a tubular catalyst, an outlet passage leading from said tubular catalyst, an air-supplying nozzle controlling said outlet passage, a supplemental air passage leading to said tubular catalyst and controlled by said air-supplying nozzle, a valve controlling the flow of air into said air-supplying nozzle, and means for synchronously actuating said air-supplying nozzle and said valve.

3. A catalytic fuel generator including a tubular catalyst, an outlet passage leading from said tubular catalyst, an air-supplying nozzle controlling said outlet passage, a supplemental air passage leading to said tubular catalyst and controlled by said air-supplying nozzle, a valve controlling the flow of air into said air-supplying nozzle, and means, including a cam and a spring, for actuating said air-supplying nozzle and said valve.

4. A catalytic gas generator including a mixer for liquid fuel and primary air, a nozzle encircling said fuel and air mixer, a tubular catalyst disposed vertically above said nozzle, an annular chamber surrounding said catalyst communicating with said nozzle, an outlet passage leading Q from said catalyst, an air-supplying nozzle controlling said outlet passage, a supplementary air passage leading to said first named nozzle and controlled by said air-supplying nozzle, a valve controlling the flow of air into said air-supplying nozzle, and means for synchronously actuating said air-supplying nozzle and said valve.

5. A catalytic fuel generator, including a source of liquid fuel, a mixer of fuel and air, a tubular catalyst open at both ends and aligned with said 9 mixer, a perforated wall surrounding and spaced from said tubular catalyst to thereby form a passage through which portions of the mixture rising within said tubular catalyst may flow in contact with the outer surface thereof, and an annular nozzle disposed at the lower end of and leading from said passage and surrounding the upper end of said mixer, said annular nozzle being so situated as to discharge into the lower open end of said tubular catalyst.

6. A catalytic fuel generator, including a source of liquid fuel, a mixer of fuel and air, a tubular catalyst open at both ends and aligned with said mixer, a perforated wall surrounding and spaced from said tubular catalyst to thereby form a passage through which portions of the mixture rising within said tubular catalyst may flow in contact with the outer surface thereof, an annular nozzle, surrounding the upper end of said mixer and disposed at the lower end of and leading from said passage, said annular nozzle being so situated as to discharge into the lower open end of said tubular catalyst, and a further wall surrounding and spaced from said perforated wall to form an air passage leading to the perforations of said first-named wall.

EMORY LEE RATHBURN'.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 2,044,544. June 16, 1936.

EMORY LEE RATHBUEN.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 2, first column, line 49, claim 1, for the word "annular" read adjustable; line 54, claim 2, for "catalyst" read catalytic; and second column, line 49, claim 6, after "nozzle" strike out the comma; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office Signed and sealed this 11th day of August, A, D. 1956.

Henry Van Arsdale (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 2,044,544. June 16, 1936.

EMORY LEE RATHBURN.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 2, first column, line 49, claim 1, for the word "annular" read adjustable; line 54, claim 2, for "catalyst" read catalytic; and second column, line 49, claim 6, after "nozzle" strike out the comma; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 11th day of August, A. D. 1956.

Henry Van Arsdale (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

